AMERICAN PASSAGES places a unique emphasis on cause and effect relationships over time in a complete, compelling narrative. Rather than categorizing facets of historical change into ahistorical abstractions, such as "themes" or "topics", AMERICAN PASSAGES emphasizes the intertwined nature of three key characteristics of time - sequence, simultaneity, and contingency. With an unparalleled sense of clarity and purpose, the authors convey how events grow from other events, people's actions, and broad structural changes (sequence), how apparently disconnected events occurred in close chronological proximity to one another and were situated in larger, shared contexts (simultaneity), and how history suddenly pivoted because of events, personalities, and unexpected outcomes (contingency).

To further highlight this unique framework, this text includes two new essay features. "Flashpoints" take a closer look at pivotal events specific to a given time and place. These events emphasize contingency and show students how key events, personal decisions have influenced historical outcomes over time. The "Enduring Issues" feature traces topics across time to emphasize how recurring patterns appear in different forms as time changes the context. Both features help students understand the historical significance of pivotal events and recurring patterns over time. By grasping these concepts, students can better apply historical lessons to their own lives.

New to the Edition

"Enduring Issues" features focus on broad issues that are covered in multiple chapters. Looking both backward and forward in time, these essays synthesize the various perspectives or evolution of a particular topic (such as women's status, labor & slavery, and political corruption) across time to help students understand the general currents swaying events across generations. They include a graphic timeline, a photo, map, or chart, and 1-2 assignable questions for reflection. "Enduring Issues" appears approximately every other chapter.

"Flashpoints" take a closer look at pivotal or emblematic events specific to a given time and place. Presented in brief essay form, these features emphasize contingency and reminds students that history--as it happens--isn't an inevitable progression of events. "Flashpoints" will appear one per chapter and explore events such as Virginia Slave Debates, Seneca Falls Convention and the Watts Riots.

"Doing History" documents include a collection of 2-4 brief excerpts from primary sources on related topics, to show varying perspectives. Exposure to multiple sources and different types of historical evidence provides students with manageable opportunities to "do history." Brief commentary by the authors guides students, and assignable "Questions to Consider" encourage critical thinking. In addition, Doing History Online features highlight exercises from HistoryNow that allow students to explore history through documents, maps, and images.

New "America and the World" maps are now included in the eight "Passages" to help set the American story in global context. The maps identify specific locations and cultures where the people of America were interacting with particular salience at that time. The maps remind students that people in the Americas came from other places, that the U.S. was always living in and dealing with others in the world, and that those relations were always changing. Each line on the map will be accompanied by a brief caption telling about the relationship.

New visual chapter timelines show relative time spans by using horizontal bars of color so that students can see how events and movements overlapped and intersected. Organized into three categories, these timelines (which replace the Chapter Chronologies in the past edition) tie in with the Passages Chronologies: Politics & Diplomacy, Social & Cultural, and Economics & Technology.

Important terms and names appear in boldface in the text, signaling that a definition or explanation is available in the Glossary located at the end of the book. In addition, the expanded "Identifications" list presents the names of key chapter terms (including events, figures, places, and concepts), along with page references that direct students to the original location of the term within the chapter context.

In addition to the narrative conclusion, the authors have added brief "Chapter in Review" features. These bullet-points lists offer students a simple way to review chapter material. Additionally, new visual chapter summaries offer expanded chapter conclusions with a more thematic emphasis and a strong visual component. Each summary is illustrated with several photos, maps, or charts.

New end-of-chapter "Making Connections Across Chapters" modules provide students with review questions that encourage them to make connections from one time period to another. The questions are organized into two sections: "Looking Back," which focuses on the chapter just completed, and "Looking Ahead" which leads students to anticipate the implications which will unfold in the next chapter and to look for larger themes that tie pieces of the story together. There are 2-5 questions per section.

Each chapter-ending "Online Sources Guide" presents a list of primary sources (such as speeches, letters, diary entries, images, and audio recordings) that relate directly to the chapter's material. These primary sources are available at Wadsworth's American History Resource Center. (Access card required; see supplements section for details.)

Professors can hand select readings from over 900 primary source documents and create a reader that's a perfect match for their syllabus and course goals. Visit www.textchoice2.com and click on DOCUMENTING THE AMERICAN PAST for a full list of sources or contact your sales representative to request a sample reader and a printed listing of source options.

The authors, who are well-respected scholars in their respective areas of specialization, provide a current and accurate narrative history of America.

Eight "Passages" features use visuals and narratives to illustrate the passage of time and act as both a summation of previous material and a preview of what is to come (connections across chapters). These essays appear every fourth chapter, introducing the coming chapters with maps that indicate political boundaries, settlements, and other geographical changes throughout the given time period often giving a comparative look at events, people and movements. Charts of population growth, a comprehensive timeline, and photographs also accompany the essays. The combination of the "Passages" sections with the chapter introductions and conclusions show the progression of history and the integration of people, events, and movements within the whole story rather than history in isolation.

Each chapter includes two to three primary source documents intended to enliven history with real voices of the past. Documents range from speeches by prominent figures to diary entries, poems, and ordinary citizens' eyewitness accounts of historical events. They represent many areas of history from minorities (The Japanese Relocation Order, 1942, and the Petition of Philadelphia Jews for Equal Rights, 1783) to women (Sarah Morgan's "Diary") to Native Americans (Memorial and Protest of the Cherokee Nation, 1836), to the journals of Lewis and Clark. These incorporate much of social history, along with political and economic history.

The solid, full-color mapping and illustration program includes more than 100 maps, photos, reproductions of works of fine art, political cartoons, posters, architectural plans, book covers, contemporary advertisements, graphs and tables.

New visual chapter timelines show relative time spans by using horizontal bars of color so that students can see how events and movements overlapped and intersected. Organized into three categories, these timelines (which replace the Chapter Chronologies in the past edition) tie in with the Passages Chronologies: Politics & Diplomacy, Social & Cultural, and Economics & Technology.

Wadsworth's U.S. History Video Library features a comprehensive selection of videos from Films for the Humanities and Sciences and other sources. Titles include "Colonialism, Nationalism, and Migration"; "From Workshops to Factory"; "Revolution, Progress: Politics, Technology, and Science"; and many more. Videos are available to qualified adopters; contact your Thomson Wadsworth representative for details.

PASSAGES: PREHISTORY TO 1763.

1. Contact, Conflict, and Exchange in the Atlantic World to 1590. 2. Colonization of North America, 1590-1675. 3. Crisis and Changes, 1675-1720. 4. The Expansion of Colonial British America, 1720-1763.

PASSAGES: 1764 TO 1814.

5. Wars for Independence, 1764-1783. 6. Toward a More Perfect Union, 1783-1788. 7. The Federalist Republic, 1789-1799. 8. The New Republic Faces a New Century, 1800-1815.

AMERICAN PASSAGES places a unique emphasis on cause and effect relationships over time in a complete, compelling narrative. Rather than categorizing facets of historical change into ahistorical abstractions, such as "themes" or "topics", AMERICAN PASSAGES emphasizes the intertwined nature of three key characteristics of time - sequence, simultaneity, and contingency. With an unparalleled sense of clarity and purpose, the authors convey how events grow from other events, people's actions, and broad structural changes (sequence), how apparently disconnected events occurred in close chronological proximity to one another and were situated in larger, shared contexts (simultaneity), and how history suddenly pivoted because of events, personalities, and unexpected outcomes (contingency).

To further highlight this unique framework, this text includes two new essay features. "Flashpoints" take a closer look at pivotal events specific to a given time and place. These events emphasize contingency and show students how key events, personal decisions have influenced historical outcomes over time. The "Enduring Issues" feature traces topics across time to emphasize how recurring patterns appear in different forms as time changes the context. Both features help students understand the historical significance of pivotal events and recurring patterns over time. By grasping these concepts, students can better apply historical lessons to their own lives.

New to the Edition

"Enduring Issues" features focus on broad issues that are covered in multiple chapters. Looking both backward and forward in time, these essays synthesize the various perspectives or evolution of a particular topic (such as women's status, labor & slavery, and political corruption) across time to help students understand the general currents swaying events across generations. They include a graphic timeline, a photo, map, or chart, and 1-2 assignable questions for reflection. "Enduring Issues" appears approximately every other chapter.

"Flashpoints" take a closer look at pivotal or emblematic events specific to a given time and place. Presented in brief essay form, these features emphasize contingency and reminds students that history--as it happens--isn't an inevitable progression of events. "Flashpoints" will appear one per chapter and explore events such as Virginia Slave Debates, Seneca Falls Convention and the Watts Riots.

"Doing History" documents include a collection of 2-4 brief excerpts from primary sources on related topics, to show varying perspectives. Exposure to multiple sources and different types of historical evidence provides students with manageable opportunities to "do history." Brief commentary by the authors guides students, and assignable "Questions to Consider" encourage critical thinking. In addition, Doing History Online features highlight exercises from HistoryNow that allow students to explore history through documents, maps, and images.

New "America and the World" maps are now included in the eight "Passages" to help set the American story in global context. The maps identify specific locations and cultures where the people of America were interacting with particular salience at that time. The maps remind students that people in the Americas came from other places, that the U.S. was always living in and dealing with others in the world, and that those relations were always changing. Each line on the map will be accompanied by a brief caption telling about the relationship.

New visual chapter timelines show relative time spans by using horizontal bars of color so that students can see how events and movements overlapped and intersected. Organized into three categories, these timelines (which replace the Chapter Chronologies in the past edition) tie in with the Passages Chronologies: Politics & Diplomacy, Social & Cultural, and Economics & Technology.

Important terms and names appear in boldface in the text, signaling that a definition or explanation is available in the Glossary located at the end of the book. In addition, the expanded "Identifications" list presents the names of key chapter terms (including events, figures, places, and concepts), along with page references that direct students to the original location of the term within the chapter context.

In addition to the narrative conclusion, the authors have added brief "Chapter in Review" features. These bullet-points lists offer students a simple way to review chapter material. Additionally, new visual chapter summaries offer expanded chapter conclusions with a more thematic emphasis and a strong visual component. Each summary is illustrated with several photos, maps, or charts.

New end-of-chapter "Making Connections Across Chapters" modules provide students with review questions that encourage them to make connections from one time period to another. The questions are organized into two sections: "Looking Back," which focuses on the chapter just completed, and "Looking Ahead" which leads students to anticipate the implications which will unfold in the next chapter and to look for larger themes that tie pieces of the story together. There are 2-5 questions per section.

Each chapter-ending "Online Sources Guide" presents a list of primary sources (such as speeches, letters, diary entries, images, and audio recordings) that relate directly to the chapter's material. These primary sources are available at Wadsworth's American History Resource Center. (Access card required; see supplements section for details.)

Professors can hand select readings from over 900 primary source documents and create a reader that's a perfect match for their syllabus and course goals. Visit www.textchoice2.com and click on DOCUMENTING THE AMERICAN PAST for a full list of sources or contact your sales representative to request a sample reader and a printed listing of source options.

The authors, who are well-respected scholars in their respective areas of specialization, provide a current and accurate narrative history of America.

Eight "Passages" features use visuals and narratives to illustrate the passage of time and act as both a summation of previous material and a preview of what is to come (connections across chapters). These essays appear every fourth chapter, introducing the coming chapters with maps that indicate political boundaries, settlements, and other geographical changes throughout the given time period often giving a comparative look at events, people and movements. Charts of population growth, a comprehensive timeline, and photographs also accompany the essays. The combination of the "Passages" sections with the chapter introductions and conclusions show the progression of history and the integration of people, events, and movements within the whole story rather than history in isolation.

Each chapter includes two to three primary source documents intended to enliven history with real voices of the past. Documents range from speeches by prominent figures to diary entries, poems, and ordinary citizens' eyewitness accounts of historical events. They represent many areas of history from minorities (The Japanese Relocation Order, 1942, and the Petition of Philadelphia Jews for Equal Rights, 1783) to women (Sarah Morgan's "Diary") to Native Americans (Memorial and Protest of the Cherokee Nation, 1836), to the journals of Lewis and Clark. These incorporate much of social history, along with political and economic history.

The solid, full-color mapping and illustration program includes more than 100 maps, photos, reproductions of works of fine art, political cartoons, posters, architectural plans, book covers, contemporary advertisements, graphs and tables.

New visual chapter timelines show relative time spans by using horizontal bars of color so that students can see how events and movements overlapped and intersected. Organized into three categories, these timelines (which replace the Chapter Chronologies in the past edition) tie in with the Passages Chronologies: Politics & Diplomacy, Social & Cultural, and Economics & Technology.

Wadsworth's U.S. History Video Library features a comprehensive selection of videos from Films for the Humanities and Sciences and other sources. Titles include "Colonialism, Nationalism, and Migration"; "From Workshops to Factory"; "Revolution, Progress: Politics, Technology, and Science"; and many more. Videos are available to qualified adopters; contact your Thomson Wadsworth representative for details.

Table of Contents

PASSAGES: PREHISTORY TO 1763.

1. Contact, Conflict, and Exchange in the Atlantic World to 1590. 2. Colonization of North America, 1590-1675. 3. Crisis and Changes, 1675-1720. 4. The Expansion of Colonial British America, 1720-1763.

PASSAGES: 1764 TO 1814.

5. Wars for Independence, 1764-1783. 6. Toward a More Perfect Union, 1783-1788. 7. The Federalist Republic, 1789-1799. 8. The New Republic Faces a New Century, 1800-1815.